On May 6, 2014, the Norwalk Board of Education honored the 2014 Connecticut School Nurse of the Year, Norwalk’s very own Barbara Lialios of Brien McMahon High School.

This annual award is given each year by the Association of School Nurses of Connecticut, to publicly recognize one exceptional school nurse who is a role model for other nurses, and who demonstrates outstanding professionalism, initiative, and leadership skills. By all reports, Nurse Barbara Lialios fits all these of qualities, and then some.

Dedicated, compassionate, knowledgeable, professional and “uniquely calm” are just a few of the terms used by both administrators and colleagues to describe Mrs. Lialios. With 23 years of pediatric experience, she is a clinically expert school nurse who effectively manages the health needs of her students at Brien McMahon. Principal Suzanne Koroshetz calls her a “nurse extraordinaire” and says that Nurse Lialios “has the ability to bring out the best in everyone around her.” She is respected and admired as an advocate for students, a health educator for families, and as a resource to staff. Her mastery of school health, and her compassion, judgment, and wisdom have made Barbara a true leader at McMahon and among her fellow nurses.

In addition to her daily work as a school nurse, Barbara Lialios is also recognized for her extraordinary dedication to welllness initiatives in Norwalk Public Schools. As a member of the Wellness Advisory Committee, her focus on good nutrition has benefited the students of Brien McMahon and the community in general. She is a member of the Childhood Obesity Prevention Committee at the Norwalk Health Department, and also serves on the Healthy Living Workgroup, a collaboration of the Health Department and Norwalk Hospital. Mrs. Lialios has represented Norwalk at national conference on topics such as chronic disease prevention and childhood obesity, and is a champion for good nutrition and wellness in Norwalk Public Schools.

Please join us in thanking all our school nurses for their hard work and dedication and in congratulating Norwalk’s Barbara Lialios, the 2014 Connecticut School Nurse of the Year.